Sleeping car



March 15 1927.

A. R. ROSSMAN SLEEPING CAR Filed Feb. 5, 1926 R N w m! m m 4 M WW m I Pu A s M "w w. I mw H mm .W m n 2% 5% HMXIIIIIIHEFFIIIIIQ IH H /l/ll/ /l l/ end of the lower berth of each set there is P A; T E

AGNES R. ROSSMAN, OF SCOTCH PLAINS, NEW JERSEY.

SLEEPING- CAR.

Application filed February This invention relates to improvements in railway car constructions, and has particular reference to a combined guard rail and curtain support ,for berths of a sleeping car, the present invention being a division of my application, Serial No. 749 577, filed November '13, 1924, now issued as iPatent No. 1,543,298, dated June 23, 1925.

An object of the present invention is to provide a berth with a safety device in the form of a guard rail which, when in operative position, will permit of easy entrance to and exit from the berth and afford adequate protection to the occupant against accidental falling therefrom, and which is capable of being folded to an inoperative position within the bunk of said berth when the latter is not being used.

Another object is to utilize the guard rail as a support for a curtain which forms a closure for the berth in order that, the privacy thereof may be maintained.

The above and other objects will appear more clearly from the following detailed description, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, which illustrates a preferred embodiment of the inventive idea.

In the drawing- Figure 1 is a fragmentary longitudinal section through a railway car showing in side elevation one complete set of berths;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary transverse section through the car showing the bunk of an upper berth in operative position; and

Figure 3 is a similar view with the bunk of the upper berth in inoperative position.

Referring more particularly to the accompanying drawing, the set of berths is shown as consisting of an upper berth 17 and a lower berth 18 separated by the pivoted bunk 19, which may be of the usual construction commonly employed and which is movable to the inoperative position shown in Figure 3 against the upper side of the roof of the car when the berth is not in use. At each arranged a vertical supporting member or standard 35, preferably of hollow construction and capable of receiving therein one section 37 of a curtain of flexible material Serial No. 86,126.

"r QFFEQE,

to the above mentioned patent fora detailed j description of the mounting for the curtain sections 37 and the manner in whi'chthe bunk 19 is supported by the standards.

in accordance with the present invention the upper berth is'provided with a guard rail 47 of a height substantially equal to the width of the bunk 19 and including a frame having a supporting arm 48 from which the sections of a divided curtain 49 may be suspended. Said sections of the curtain are so attached to the arm 48 that the same may be readily slid back and forth to open and close the berth. Any suitable means (not shown) may be provided for securing the meeting ends of the sections of the curtain together when the curtain is in closing po sition. The guard rail including the arm .48 is of sufiicient height to permit of the curtain entirely enclosing the upper berth when the rail-is in its operative position, as shown in Figures ,1 and 2, the curtain being omitted in the'latter figure for purposes of clearness in illustration. The guard rail 47 is pivoted to the outer edge of the bunk l9 at 50, and is braced in its operative position by means of the pivoted links 51 connected, respectively, to the guard rail and to the bunk, as shown in Figure 2. When not in use, the guardrail may be folded upon the top of the bunk 19, as

shown in Figure 3, in such manner that when the bunk is in its inoperative position a suitable storage place for the guard rail will be provided. Intermediate the ends of the guard rail the same is providedwith a swinging gate 52 forming the entrance and 'exit'for the upper berth. V

The gate has an arm 53 depending therefrom which is utilized to control the opera tion of a foldable ladder, generally indicated by the numeral 55, the construction ofthis ladder and its operation being specifically described and claimed in my application, Serial No. 38,489, filed June 20, 1925, and allowed December 22, 1925.

As described in the aforementioned Patent'No. 1,543,298, each set of berths has as sociated therewith a compartment which is divided into lower and upper sections, the latter of which is individual to the upper berth of the set. Communication may be afforded from the upper berth to the upper section of the compartment through a door 32 formed in the wall 23 separating the compartment from its associated set of 60 formed in the upper Wall of the car directly beneath the roof thereof.

' WVhat is claimed is:

In a sleeping car construction, a berth including a bunk, a guard rail pivoted to said bunk along the bottom edge thereof and capable of being folded inwardly to a position on the-bunk when the latter is in inoperative position, said guard rail including a frame having end members extending upwardly from the ends of the guard rail a supporting member connecting the upper ends of said end members, the height of the guard rail and. frame inclusive of the supporting member being substantially equal to that of the berth, and a curtain'suspended from said supporting member and extending to the bottom of said guard rail to form a closure for said berth. v t

In testimony whereof I have ah'ixed 'my signature. Y 1

AGNES R. ROSSMAN. 

